He thought she was already sleeping when a whispered question reached his ears.
"What is your name?"
"Alexander," he replied, amused at her drowsy words. "My friends call me Alex."
"Alexandre," she repeated in the French manner, making him smile. "I like this name very much. It is strong, like you. Goodnight, Alex."
"Goodnight, Céleste."
Chapter 6
"Wherein journeys are undertaken, and our heroine puts le chat among the pigeons."
Alex listened to her gentle breathing as Céleste settled into sleep. Thoughts of some faceless bastard called Pelletier swirled in his head. He wished once again he had access to all that was usually at his fingertips, though he'd settle for a pistol or a sword. He promised himself the pleasure of seeking out Monsieur Pelletier and taking vengeance on behalf of a young woman who could not defend herself against such wickedness. He satisfied his anger for some time in devising a fitting punishment for such a vile creature. But once he had put an end to Pelletier in many and varied fashions he was still wide awake, and though he knew he must sleep to be able to face the days ahead he found himself unsurprisingly restless. No matter the promises he had made to himself, and to Céleste, the reality of a beautiful female curled around his naked body was impossible to ignore, and so it was with the ache of frustration and bleary resignation that he saw the first lightening of the sky and shook Céleste awake.
She sighed and blinked up at him, still half asleep, and he tried to ignore the strange feeling that bloomed in his chest as he watched her. He only knew that she had put her trust in him, and he would do everything he could to be worthy of that trust.
The quiet seemed too fragile as Céleste moved about the room, as though the ears of the inhabitants of the house were straining for sounds of their departure, which was clearly foolish. But Alex was only too pleased once Céleste had disappeared downstairs and Mimi appeared a short while later, bearing his clothes, the luxury of hot water to wash with and their share of the money for selling the goods.
Alex washed and dressed as fast as he could, spared a moment to regret the fact he couldn't shave, and then followed Mimi back down the stairs, carrying his boots to make as little sound as he could.
They arrived in the kitchen to discover Céleste cramming as much food as she could into a small sack.
"Mimi always takes the cart into town on Fridays for the market," she explained, her voice low and urgent in the dim surroundings of the dingy room. "So 'e will take us there and we will find a carriage."
Alex nodded and followed them outside into the frigid morning air. The house was clearly on the edge of town, close to the sea and with the salt tang of decaying seaweed thick around them as the gulls cried overhead, unheeding of their desire for quiet. Alex watched their breath cloud around their faces as they made their way to the cart and felt his lungs ache as the cold seared inside his chest. A pony stood in the harness of the cart, eyeing them with a resigned air and a huff as they approached. Mimi made a fuss of the animal and slipped him a carrot and the crunching sound seemed to echo around the streets.
Alex helped Céleste onto the seat before joining her and she slipped her arm into his, leaning into him and looking up with anxiety bright in her eyes. "Mon Dieu, 'e makes enough noise to wake every neighbour for miles," she hissed, glaring at the pony in horror.
He chuckled and gave her hand a reassuring pat. "I promise you we are not going to be given away by a carrot. You are just on edge, all will be well, don't worry."
To his surprise she seemed reassured by his words and once more he felt the responsibility of everything he had taken on. He had been responsible for many people in his life, both in his work and family. It was the duty of an earl to see to the welfare of all those who lived and worked on and around his estate, but he had never before felt the weight of that responsibility as he did with Céleste. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he was very aware of the preciousness of her trust. He must get word to his brother as soon as he may, so that he could send more funds and a carriage to meet them.
The sooner he could find her a safe place to live, somewhere she could be happy and find a life for herself, a place in society, the better for both of them. He wasn't blind to the look in her eyes or the fact that she admired him, and as much as he was beginning to appreciate that look it would do neither of them any good. No, the sooner they parted ways the better. She would find herself a suitable husband, a nice young man who would be kind to her and provide for her and any family that came along. For some inexplicable reason he was suddenly gripped by melancholy and was moved to reach out and touch her hair, whether to reassure himself or her he wasn't sure. Céleste leaned into the touch though she was sleeping now, her head heavy against him and Alex looked up to see Mimi watching him with approval.
"I'll take care of her, I promise," Alex said to him in French. Mimi nodded and turned his attention back to the road.
There were many carts moving now, loaded with onions, cauliflowers and potatoes and many more with fish and shellfish as the smell began to indicate the closer they got to the market.
The stage coach, or Diligence, was already being loaded by the time they arrived. Alex roused Céleste and left her to say her goodbyes to Mimi as he paid for their travel. He eyed the large coach with the trepidation of a nobleman glad to have never before had to suffer the inequity of public transport, and worse than that, foreign public transport. However there was nothing to be done about it so they would simply have to make the best of it.
The best of it was far worse than he feared. Céleste was teary eyed and fragile after waving goodbye to Mimi and he was glad he had spent a little more of their meagre funds than he perhaps should have to secure a place on the more spacious interior of the carriage. The roof was already crammed with people and a pile of luggage half as high again as the carriage itself. Everything was lashed on with rope and chains. In fact with the postilions and conductor, he counted seventeen passengers including themselves, and stifled a groan of disgust.
Their names for now were Monsieur et Madame Smith, and he handed her into the carriage. To his further dismay it was apparent the corner spaces had already been taken and he was obliged to seat himself and Céleste between two strangers.
To his side was an attractive lady in her thirties, who was perhaps rather over-made up and perfumed, though it was welcome enough to disguise the odours of some of the other travellers which was perhaps her intent. On Céleste's side was an older lady with a kindly face who promptly settled herself to sleep and whose soft snores were thankfully soon to be drowned out by the noise of the carriage. Opposite them were four more passengers. A small, fussy looking single man who bore the look of a lawyer or physician, a middle-aged couple and to Alex's intense disquiet, a priest who regarded him with a look of deep disapproval. Alex reminded himself that his intentions towards Céleste were entirely honourable and met the priest's cold stare with one of equal merit until the man looked away. Céleste, however, was still sniffing and wiping away tears and very soon it wasn't just the priest who was looking at him askance. Alex glared at everyone in turn, daring them to make a comment, and then closed his eyes and ignored everyone with impunity.
The carriage was quiet, or at least as quiet as it could be over the noise of the carriage itself as it travelled at a remarkable clip considering the state of the roads, while everyone dozed or made themselves as comfortable as they may. It wasn't an easy task as the carriage lurched and often threw the passengers together in rather closer contact than they may have liked. The attractive woman beside him, a widow by the name of Madame Durand as she had introduced herself, seemed to almost end in his lap, or with her generous charms pressed firmly against him at fairly regular intervals, much to his annoyance, the priest's disgust, and earning herself a furious scowl from Céleste. However as the darkened skies of the dawn brightened into a rather dismal, if dry, day the tedium of the journey began to take its toll on som
e who began to converse with one another. Alex kept his eyes resolutely shut and wished he'd had the forethought to school Céleste on what she should or should not say about who they were and where they were going, and could only pray that the girl kept her own counsel. His prayers, however, appeared to have fallen on deaf ears and he was forced to open his eyes in alarm as she fell into conversation with the older lady beside her.
At first the conversation had appeared innocuous enough. Madame Audet was also recently widowed and going to live with her eldest daughter in Gascony. There was time spent in listening to Madame Audet wax lyrical about the many and splendid accommodations to be found at her daughter's, who had apparently been blessed with fortuitous marriage, and then she asked about Céleste. Alex could almost see the naughty smile on her lips as the girl spoke and wondered if she knew what she had let him in for, when she explained to all the assembled company that she was just that week married, and yes, this was her husband.
On reflection he wished he'd just kept his eyes shut and feigned sleep for the rest of the day, but as it was he was subjected to speculative gazes, many of whom he was in no doubt, quite rightly questioned the validity of such a marriage. Especially as his wife was not in possession of a ring. It had no doubt also been noted that they carried no luggage further than Céleste's bag, which was stuffed with her meagre belongings and what food she'd stolen from the whorehouse.
Madame Audet cast him a look of her own which he couldn't quite read, but heard her say to Céleste that her husband was very handsome. At which point Céleste, the little wretch, sighed and laughed and agreed with her with enthusiasm. She then leaned into him and entwined their fingers together, looking up at him with such a look of adoration that he didn't know whether to spank her or kiss her. As it was he gritted his teeth and endured an interminable journey, broken only by brief stops to change horses, until they arrived at the inn for the night.
Of course, as Céleste had well known, the announcement of their recent betrothal meant that Alex would have to book just one room. Whilst this was indeed a good thing for the budgeting of their slender purse, it was a tremendously bad thing for his nerves.
Once they were alone he took her to task before they went down to dinner, before she could spread any more stories that would have his fellow travellers condemning him as a black-hearted fiend and stealer of innocence.
"That was an abominable thing to do to me," he said, the moment the door had closed behind them.
Céleste snorted and threw herself down on the bed, bouncing on the mattress in a gleeful manner, and looking thoroughly unrepentant. "Oh, and so?" she demanded. "They were already looking at us, so ... I jus' let them have their story. Now they believe we are perhaps married, perhaps not ... let them consider. Better thoughts like this, not of runaway maids and smugglers, eh bien?"
Alex snorted and shook his head. "You'll be the death of me yet, Céleste."
"Mais non!" she objected, laying across the bed with a sigh of deep content. "I saved you. I will not let you die now. Non, never. I will protect you as you protect me."
He turned to look at her spread over the bed. Her hair was tousled, arms and legs akimbo and yet it wasn't just desire that rose in his chest, though that was undoubtedly there, but he was touched by her words. She smiled up at him, as if she knew every thought that travelled through his mind. "We will save each other, mon contrebandier," she whispered.
Alex turned away from the look in her eyes, reminding himself of the promises he'd made. He walked to the door, pausing before he opened it. "I'll go down and give you some time to rest. I will see you for dinner, ma mie."
As he closed the door he berated himself for the endearment. He shouldn't encourage the girl, but the term had fallen from his lips without him really having thought about it. And so it was he took himself off for a walk, despite the bitterness of the evening air and the uninspiring place they appeared to have stopped in. Anything to keep his mind from the beguiling creature who was beginning to occupy far too many of his thoughts.
Chapter 7
"Wherein battles are waged and a winner declared ... but the war continues."
Céleste stretched out on the mattress and sighed with content. She had done it, she had really done it. She had run away from Madame Maxime's with Alex! And he was so funny, her contrebandier, so concerned for her reputation and her morals and ... bah! She remembered the feel of his big, hard body against hers as she had fallen asleep last night. It had felt so good, to lie with his strong arms around her, it made her wonder what else would feel good, what it would be like to do some of the things she had seen at the brothel, with a man like Alex. She felt her body heat as she imagined those big hands travelling over her skin, as she thought about his mouth upon her, the weight of him lying on her. Her breathing picked up and she felt desire coil in her belly, liquid and hot, making her skin ache with the need for him to touch her. Yet she felt sure he had appointed himself her guardian or some such nonsense. He seemed to want to save her, which was all well and good and she was all in favour of it, as long as it didn't mean saving her from him. She pouted with frustration and she realised this was likely exactly what he did mean. Well she would just have to make him realise that virgin she may be, but she was very far from innocent, so really, what was the point in trying to pretend she was?
With this thought in mind she tidied herself as best she could, scowling in the mirror at the state of her dress. She wondered what it would be like to be well dressed, like the woman who'd sat beside Alex in the carriage. She had disliked the woman on sight, and liked even less the covetous looks she had cast his way and kept pawing at him. Thankfully Alex had been ignoring everybody and so hadn't seemed to notice. She hoped he would continue not to notice because she felt ill-equipped to fight for his attention dressed as she was. With a heavy sigh she turned away from the mirror and closed the door to their room before hurrying down the stairs. The enticing smell of food wafted around the building and Céleste found she was almost beside herself with excitement at the idea of eating a meal that not only had she not prepared, but that would be served to her, and she wouldn't have to clear up afterwards. It was almost beyond belief.
To her relief she found Alex waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and then blushed as she remembered everything she had been thinking about in the bedroom. A vivid recollection of her daydream flashed in front of her and she bit her lip, quite unable to meet his eyes.
"Are you quite well?" he asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
She nodded, as he placed her hand firmly on his arm and her blush increased as she considered those hands again. He paused, forcing her to look up and meet his eyes and finding his expression one of curiosity and no little amusement. She had the most awful feeling he knew exactly why she was blushing. "Are you quite sure, ma mie?"
"Oui," she muttered, finding her eyes falling to his lips and then cursing herself as she had to look away again.
Thankfully he didn't question her any further but led her through to dinner, where most of the other guests were already assembled. To her and - she had no doubt - Alex's relief, they were left alone and she savoured both the meal and the wine with quiet delight. It was a plain and rather run-down little inn, and the fare simple but tasty. A vegetable soup and rabbit stew with cabbage was followed with a generous slice of Camembert and fruit. She ate every scrap put in front of her with relish and even enjoyed the look of amused indulgence Alex seemed to regard her with.
"Well, I am sorry, Alex," she said, folding her napkin with care and placing it back on the table. "But you will 'ave to carry me upstairs. I am too full."
"Well for my part I am relieved to find it is possible," Alex replied, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "I was about to send to the kitchens and instruct them to kill a pig to sate you."
She stuck her tongue out at him, which was entirely childish but made him laugh, and a smile bloomed on her own face. She liked to hear him laugh.
"Well then perhaps you should go up," he said, twisting the stem of his wineglass back and forth in his long fingers. "I will be along presently."
"Oh?" she replied, quite unable to keep the disappointment from her voice. "Why not now?" She looked around the room to where Madame Durand was talking in low tones to the proprietor and hoped she wasn't his objective. She looked back at him but Alex merely shrugged, avoiding her eyes.
"I thought I might take a walk."
"But you already took a walk," she objected, feeling her temper rise. "You said so!"
"Céleste, lower your voice," he growled, looking uncomfortable. "I have been cooped up in that damn carriage all day and I need to stretch my legs, that is all."
"Hmph," was all the reply she would give that comment, before she got to her feet. She paused and leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Coward." Before leaving him alone at the table.
Not one to be thwarted, however, Céleste took a considerable time getting herself ready for bed, enjoying the luxury of having a room with a real bed in it, though she noted that there was dust underneath it and that the sheets were poorly aired. Madame Maxime would have never have stood for it. So she turned down the covers and built up the fire, making sure she was very much awake when Alex finally opened the door.
He sighed, scowling as he regarded her sitting up in bed with just her shift on. She had taken care to make sure that the drawstring around her neck was too loose and fell down to reveal a bare shoulder and the swell of one pert breast.
"Why on earth aren't you asleep?" he demanded.
Determined not to be cowed by his annoyance she just shrugged. "Because I wanted to see you before I go to sleep."
"There is really no need, Céleste, we will be in each other's company all day tomorrow," he said, and she noted that he sounded weary now and he looked drawn, his face ashen.
The Earl's Temptation Page 5